8 Best Sights in Italy

One of Sicily's most stunning national parks is filled with mountain landscapes, charming lakes, and vivid evergreen forests. The area is easy to navigate thanks to well-kept roads, multiple picnic areas, and the 24 picturesque towns that are found within the park itself. Outdoor experiences throughout the park abound, and you can drive up to Floresta, the park's highest point (and the highest town in Sicily), to see some impressive views of Mount Etna.

Castelbuono is located just outside this 80,000-acre regional park of the Madonie Mountains, which means it is a perfect spot to explore the splendid natural reserve. There are walking paths, camping areas, horse riding, mountain biking, and caving activities to experience. You can even simply take a scenic drive out into the park for a picnic.

Cogne, 27 km (17 miles) south of Aosta, is the gateway to this huge park, which was once the domain of King Vittorio Emanuele II (1820–78). Bequeathed to the nation after World War I, it is one of Europe's most rugged and unspoiled wilderness areas, with wildlife and many plant species protected by law. The park is one of the few places in Europe where you can see the ibex (a mountain goat with horns up to 3 feet long) and the chamois (a small antelope). The park, which is 703 square km (271 square miles), is open free of charge throughout the year; there's an information office in Cogne. Try to visit in May, when spring flowers are in bloom and most of the meadows are clear of snow.

Calabria's granite plateau of Sila National Park is a wonderful place for lovers of the wild outdoors. Rising to nearly 7,000 feet at its highest peak, Botte Donato, the park was inaugurated in 2002, with forests, valleys, and rivers home to 175 species of vertebrates, including the park's now protected symbol, il lupo, the wolf. The forestry commission office in nearby Cupone can provide tourist information, maps, and assistance, such as arranging guides.

A drive through the park, especially on the very winding 34-km (21-mile) road between the Monastero di Camaldoli and Santuario della Verna, passing through the lovely abbey town of Badia Prataglia, reveals one satisfying vista after another, from walls of firs to velvety pillows of pastureland where sheep or white cattle graze. In autumn, the beeches add a mass of red-brown to the palette, and, in spring, torrents of bright golden broom pour off the hillsides with an unforgettable profusion and fragrance.

Walking the forests—which also include sycamore, lime, maple, ash, elm, oak, hornbeam, and chestnut trees and abundant brooks and impressive waterfalls—is the best way to see some of the wilder creatures, from deer and mouflon (wild sheep imported from Sardinia in 1872) to eagles and many other birds, as well as 1,000 species of flora, including many rare and endangered plants and an orchid found nowhere else. The park organizes theme walks in summer and provides English-speaking guides anytime with advance notice.

The Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane (Regional Park of the Apuan Alps) straddles the hills of coastal Versilia and spreads mostly across the mountainous Garfagnana inland. It includes caves, grottoes, peaks, and valleys. Hiking, riding, and mountain bike trails crisscross the park. There are various points of access for various types of excursions, and all are clearly indicated on the interactive park map. The park's visitor center is in the town of Castelnuovo Garfagnana.

Italy's largest national park straddles Calabria and Basilicata, rises to over 7,000 feet at Serra Dolcedorme, and offers many opportunities for outdoors enthusiasts. Its ancient wooded valleys are home to Europe's oldest tree, a 1,230-year-old Heldreich’s pine. There are five summits all over 6,562 feet, the highest point being Serra Dolcedorme at 7,438 feet above sea level, the highest point of the Southern Apennines. It's the only peak from where it's possible to see three seas: the Ionian, the Tyrrhenian, and the Adriatic. Hiking trails dot the landscape with excursions for most abilities—and there are popular picnicking viewpoints, often near rifugi (rustic hostels that tend to offer food).

The Alps' (and Italy's) biggest national park is spread over 1,350 square km (520 square miles) and four provinces. Opened in 1935 to preserve flora and protect fauna, today it has more than 1,200 types of plants, 600 different mushrooms, and more than 160 species of animals, including the chamois, ibex, and roe deer. There are many entrances to the park and five visitor centers.  Bormio makes a good base for exploring—the closest entrance to town is the year-round gateway at Torre Alberti.